Shadria - The Invention & The Date
by AceTiff12
Summary: These are the fics I wrote for the first and second days' themes of last year's Shadow x Maria Week. The prompts were "In the Ark" and "Firsts."
1. The Invention

**Author's Note: **I wrote these two stories for last year's Shadria Week event, back in 2018. The themes for Day 1 and Day 2 were "In the Ark" and "Firsts," respectively. The event is happening again this year from December 14 - 20, and I plan on doing another fanfiction for one of the days, so keep an eye out for it! (More info about Shadria Week 2019 at the shadria-week tumblr blog.) Without further ado, I present...

"The Invention"

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-xoxo-

* * *

Out of all the experiments that originated in the Ark, Maria thought that Shadow was the most successful, the most amazing, and the most important of all. In fact, she usually forgot he was biologically engineered by her grandfather. She always saw him as another living being like her and everyone else.

One day, Professor Gerald asked to speak with the hedgehog in private. Maria waited patiently for her friend to return.

"What did he say?"

"He said he's making a new invention and needs my help with it. He wouldn't tell me the details, though, so I just said I'd think about it."

"Oh, Shadow, I think you should definitely help out if you can. It would make Grandfather happy, and I'm sure whatever he's making will be for the good of everyone here."

Shadow paused for a moment, as if trying to choose his next words carefully. "I admire the faith you have in others, Maria. You really care about this place, don't you?"

"Of course. It's our home, and it's where we met. A lot of my precious memories are here, so I love it."

That was all he needed to hear. "If you love it, then I'll protect it."

So Shadow returned to the professor the next day and told him he'd help out with his new invention. Maria went on with her day as usual, wondering how Shadow was doing. She hoped to see him again soon so they could talk, but she never even caught a glimpse of him. She didn't see him the next day, either. Or the day after that.

Finally, she spotted a dark figure turning a corner at the end of a hallway. She ran and called his name as loud as she could.

She arrived just in time to see the door to Shadow's room close. She knocked on it, only for him to tell her to come back later.

So she tried again just before her bedtime. This time Shadow let her in. He looked... tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and he could barely stand straight.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for bothering you. Should we talk some other time?"

"No, it's fine. I should be sorry for not coming to see you in so long."

"How's the work going with Grandfather's invention? What's he making?"

Shadow suddenly broke eye contact. "I'm not allowed to say. He doesn't want you to know about it until it's done."

"Oh, really?" Maria smiled slyly. Secret projects were always either really important, really exciting, or both. "Well, that's a shame..."

Oftentimes when Professor Gerald forbade Shadow and/or Maria from doing or seeing something, they would come up with a plan to go against him when his back was turned.

But Shadow shook his head. "I agree with the professor on this. You should just wait until it's finished."

Maria might have listened to him if not for one thing. Shadow continued to avoid her on a daily basis, only allowing her to visit him just before her bedtime. It had something to do with her grandfather's invention, and she intended to find out what was so exciting and important that even Shadow didn't want her to see.

She tried being patient at first, but there was no way for her to know how long the project would take. So as soon as the opportunity arose, she snuck her way into the room where Shadow disappeared for hours on end each day.

No one saw her enter; the hall had been completely empty for several minutes. Inside it was dark, so she stayed out of sight in one spot until her eyes adjusted. Then she heard a raspy noise and crept silently towards it.

Further on, she saw Shadow. He was by himself. A soft blue light shone down on him. He was doubled over on one knee, both hands flat on the floor. The noise she'd heard was coming from him. He was panting hard.

She'd seen him train before, running obstacle courses mostly, and they often tired him out. But something felt different here; the air made her uneasy.

She stayed hidden and watched as something metal and heavy began to descend from the ceiling. It was a machine with two large, cone-shaped electric conductors on either side. It stopped above Shadow.

"Activating now."

The voice came from the wall Shadow was facing. It had a large window that showed where a few scientists sat and observed.

Before Maria could blink, there was a flash of white. Bolts of lightning surged from the tips of the conductors and consumed Shadow's body. Her eyes widened in terror as he screamed. Sparks sizzled and there was a horrible sound like bones cracking.

Her feet stayed rooted to the floor. His eyes shut tight as he gritted his teeth against the searing electric waves.

It went on for longer than she could stand. Her mind shrieked for her to _move_, but nothing happened. It was like she, too, was paralyzed by the same pain that Shadow was feeling right now. Her stomach began to squirm with nausea.

And then, something snapped her into action. Even with the blinding flashes obscuring her vision, she saw Shadow's nose start to bleed.

"_Stop!_"

Her feet moved at last. She pumped as much energy into her legs as she could. She didn't care if she wound up electrocuted too. All she cared about was reaching him and putting an end to this.

She barely made a couple of steps before a strong force held her back. Someone had grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned her head. It was her grandfather!

"Grandfather! Please, you have to stop them! They're hurting him!"

"I know."

The old professor nodded his head slowly and looked at Shadow. "It'll all be over soon enough."

Maria glanced back again. She wanted to step forward, but Gerald still had a firm grip on her. Not wanting to just stand there and watch her friend suffer, she buried her face in the professor's chest.

The frightening sounds did not die away for a long time. When all was finally calm again, Gerald gently pushed her aside.

"Look, Maria. This is what we've been working on."

She noticed something on the floor a ways behind where Shadow now lay still. It was a server, a circular device embedded in the ground used to dispense items around the Ark.

Professor Gerald signaled to the scientists behind the glass. Moments later, the server glowed a bluish green. A large capsule floated into existence.

Gerald took the capsule in both hands and brought it to Shadow. He tossed it over the hedgehog and it immediately disintegrated in a shower of blue, white, and green particles.

Shadow slowly stirred. He opened his eyes and breathed normally again. Then he stood up and smiled.

"The effects were almost immediate that time, Professor."

But the professor wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Maria.

Shadow turned, saw her too, and gave a start. "When did you—?!"

"I snuck in." The words just fell out of her mouth of their own accord.

Professor Gerald addressed them both. "Shadow, go and have your vitals checked. Maria, I promise we'll talk about this later. Right now, just... run along."

Shadow looked like he wanted to protest, but Maria fled at once. She thought she heard Shadow call after her, but with the pounding in her ears, she may have been mistaken.

Later that evening, she visited Shadow's room before her bedtime as usual.

"Hey."

"Hi..."

"I'm sorry you had to see all that. It's really not as bad as it seems."

"You were bleeding."

Shadow paused. He couldn't think of a way to write that off, so he sighed. "The professor wants to talk to us tomorrow, so he'll explain everything to you then."

Maria swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She stepped closer to him and tried to keep her voice even. "I want to hear what _you_ have to say."

He folded his arms together and studied her. She stared back just as intently, not lowering her guard. Shadow gave a curt nod and took her hand, guiding her to sit next to him on his bed.

"It's called a Heal Unit," he began. "It's supposed to instantly treat any and all wounds and injuries. The professor needed me to... test it. He said I have the most endurance out of anyone on the Ark, so I was the ideal candidate. If the Heal Unit works on me, it should be able to work on everyone else."

"So you just let them torture you so they can use the Heal Unit on you?"

"...Yes."

"S-Shadow..." Maria felt an unpleasant shiver course through her body. "Why did you hide from me those first few days?"

She had a feeling she already knew the answer, and he confirmed it. "Because it didn't really work as well at first. I heal fast already on my own, but I had a bunch of nasty cuts and bruises that wouldn't go away until long after I cleaned them up."

"What did they do to you? Besides use that... machine?"

Shadow shook his head. "I'd really rather not say."

She held in a gasp as gruesome images passed through her mind. "I can't believe you've been suffering all this time... and it's my fault. I'm the one who told you to go ahead with whatever Grandfather needed help with."

"It's okay, Maria. This is for the good of everyone. The invention's pretty much done now; it just needs to be perfected. Think of how helpful it's going to be once they start mass producing it."

"But at the cost of you getting hurt over and over."

"If it means protecting what you hold dear, I'm willing to go through anything."

It was too much for her. She turned away so he wouldn't see the tears gathering in her eyes.

They were quiet for a while. Maria concentrated on calming herself down, but it was hard with Shadow's presence distracting her. She tried as discreetly as she could to wipe her face with her hand.

She felt him press his forehead against her back and rest there. "Maria, are you sad?"

Part of her wanted to lie, but she pushed it aside because she knew her voice would give the real answer away. "Uh-huh."

"If you don't want me to go back there, just say the word and I'll stop."

It couldn't have been that easy. Could it? But his voice seemed dead serious. And for some reason, that made her laugh a little bit.

"Oh, Shadow," she sighed, turning to him as she finished wiping her face. "You should think for yourself more often. If I told you to jump out of the nearest airlock straight into deep space, would you do it?"

"Yes." Again, dead serious.

She shook her head with a smile. "Why?"

"Because I trust you. Why do you have so much faith in others?"

"Well, because... I... believe in them."

"And I believe in you."

Maria thought this over. Then she reached a decision. "Okay. Then I want you to continue helping them, Shadow. But... I want to be right there with you so you won't suffer by yourself."

"Are you sure? It can get pretty intense. I don't know if you can handle it."

"Still, I want to at least try, even if I do get scared at first. I'll hold your hand if I can and when it's over I'll do my best to give you emotional support."

"I really doubt the Professor's going to like it, but if that's what you want, I'll try to persuade him tomorrow."

"Thank you."

She showed him a small, genuine smile and he returned it. Then she hugged him close. Whatever he had to go through tomorrow, she would be there for him no matter what her grandfather said. And if they were already in the stages of perfecting it, then the Heal Unit would soon be completed. It would be another great invention and help a lot of people, but Maria still knew in her heart that no Ark invention could ever compare to her loyal and most cherished friend, Shadow.


	2. The Date

"The Date"

* * *

-xoxo-

* * *

It slipped out. He didn't mean to say it; it just stumbled from his lips before he could think. They were in the kitchen of their new home, making popcorn for the movie that was about to play on TV.

Maria took the bag from the microwave, opened it, and poured the contents into a large bowl. But the bowl had been dangerously close to the edge of the counter. It tipped over and landed on the floor, spilling popcorn everywhere. They stooped down on their knees to sweep the mess up.

Maria had shaken her head and said, "Oh, what a waste of food. That's too bad."

That's when he said it. He was supposed to say, "It's okay," but somehow his brain and his mouth misunderstood each other.

Now she was staring at him in shock and he was fighting not to let his face show he had said anything wrong.

"What... What did you say?"

He was cornered. Whenever she asked him a direct question, he couldn't lie. He breathed in and out through his nose, more angry with himself than anything.

"I love you," he repeated, but curtly this time.

_He was supposed to wait_. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but _not yet_. He planned on confessing next year, sometime after she turned fourteen. At least a year after they began living on Earth, not just a few weeks. So much for that.

Maybe if he was lucky, she wouldn't take what he said in a romantic way. He should have added, "Like a friend," to clarify... That way it wouldn't be a total lie.

"Shadow... I don't know what to say." She was blushing, her shoulders hunched.

"You don't have to say anything," he snapped. "Just pretend I never spoke."

He scooped up more popcorn, stood, dumped them in the trash, and went back to the living room. He didn't mean to be rude, but he was furious with himself.

He sat rigid on the couch, listening to her pop another bowl of popcorn. She arrived just before the movie started. She put the bowl between them and Shadow knew she did it on purpose. Usually they shared snacks with the bowl sitting in her lap. He didn't dare try to steal a glimpse of her face.

Nothing was ever going to be the same again. He just wished it didn't have to happen so soon. The movie continued, but all he could think about was Maria. What was going through her mind right now? Would she tell the Professor? What would _he_ think? Why did his mouth have to ruin everything today? Why couldn't he control himself? But he knew the answer to that one. They waited so long to finally live on Earth together, and when it happened... it was like she transformed right before his eyes.

She was already happy and beautiful on the Ark, but the Maria who lived on Earth knocked the breath from his lungs. Every time she moved, or spoke, or smiled... it was like he was experiencing perfection in its purest, truest form. And with one slip of the tongue, he robbed her of that natural goodness.

Great job, Shadow, you disgusting piece of filth.

When the movie ended, he stared straight ahead, even when Maria used the remote to shut the TV off. There was a heavy, uncomfortable silence. He felt her eyes on him, but refused to look.

"What did you think of the movie, Shadow?"

He shrugged. "It was fine, I guess."

"Which part was your favorite?"

"Uh... the ending."

"What was the main character's name?"

"It was... Um..."

"You didn't pay attention to it at all, did you?"

He sighed. "No."

She moved right in front of him, kneeling to look him in the eyes, but he was quick to close his. Very gently, she wrapped her hands over the fists he had clenched atop his knees.

"Shadow, please say something."

"I don't want to talk about it, Maria. Let's just forget about it, okay?"

"I can't. You just sprung that on me out of nowhere, when I wasn't even doing anything special. I was cleaning the floor, for goodness' sake. How long has this been going on?"

Shadow covered his eyes with one hand. "A while. I'm sorry. Please, no more."

He sounded like he was about to cry, so she stopped. Her mind was abuzz with questions, but she did her best to ignore them. Instead she leaned forward and hugged him as tightly as possible. His arms flew around her; his face plunged deep into her shoulder. He didn't cry, but she soothed him anyway by repeating that everything was going to be okay.

When he felt calm enough, he asked her if she would listen to what he had to say. She nodded quickly, and he drew in a deep breath.

"I know you probably have a million questions, but for now, I just want to confess properly."

As much as he wished it, this incident wasn't just going to go away. So he'd at least try to fix the mess he made.

He found it difficult to remember how he'd been planning to tell her, but given the circumstances, he thought he did alright. He told her she was kind and sweet, she was beautiful, she made him happy, and he wanted to protect her with his life. He mentioned how he always wanted to live on Earth with her, and now that it was happening, it was like a dream come true.

"I love you, Maria, but I don't need anything in return. I just thought it was something you should know about."

There. He did it. And surprisingly, he felt relieved. Even though she was blushing again and fidgeting, he didn't feel uncomfortable because she was the one who wanted him to talk.

A glance at the clock told him there was still an hour left before the Professor returned home from work. He stood up and took the empty bowl from the couch. He offered to wash it and Maria just nodded quietly. When he came back, she was gone.

They saw each other again at dinner. Both pretended nothing different had happened that day so the Professor wouldn't get suspicious.

Shadow worried about Maria that night, hoping she didn't secretly hate him now. The next morning he prepared himself to face her directly, but she was the one to approach him.

"Good morning, Shadow."

"Good morning, Maria. Did you sleep well?"

"I... Actually, no. I couldn't sleep at all last night."

His ears drooped, knowing it was all his fault. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you."

"I'm glad you did. You gave me a lot to think about." She rubbed one of her arms with the other. "I still have a lot to ask you, but I'll wait until you're ready. For now, I wanted to tell you that I... I care about you a lot. I don't think I'd be as happy here on Earth if you weren't with me. I still don't understand why the Ultimate Life Form thinks so much of an ordinary girl like me, but... Thank you."

Then she did something out of the blue... She gave a small smile and asked if he wanted to go out with her that day.

"Wait a minute... Go out, as in... on a date?"

"Umm... Yes." Her cheeks reddened, but she tried to cover them with her hands—a gesture Shadow found adorable.

He could hardly believe it was real, but before he knew it, they were discussing where to go and getting ready for their very first date. Maria dressed up in a different blue outfit: a simple blouse and skirt, leggings, flats, and perched at the top, a hairband with a big bow.

They headed for the front door and Shadow was about to open it for her when a voice stopped them.

"And where are you two running off to?"

Professor Gerald Robotnik, coffee in hand, raised an eyebrow at them.

"Professor! I... thought you left for work already."

"It's Saturday."

Shadow and Maria glanced quickly at each other. They'd both forgotten the Professor no longer worked every day of the week anymore.

Maria took charge. She looked her grandfather square in the eye and... raised Shadow's heartbeat by telling him the truth.

"Shadow and I are going downtown to see a movie and get some milkshakes at the malt shop. Just the two of us."

"Movies and milkshakes," the Professor repeated slowly. "Together."

Maria nodded and Shadow already felt the sweat forming near his temple. But it was hard to tell what the Professor was thinking because the tiny shades he wore concealed his eyes. He just stared at them, still and silent, for what seemed like half a minute.

At last, he said, "Be back by six."

"Six?!" Shadow blurted.

"Six thirty," Maria countered.

"Fine."

Shadow wanted to protest, but Maria placed a hand firmly on his shoulder and forced a smile.

Outside, he was still grumbling.

"We'll have to tell him the truth someday, Shadow."

"No we don't, because it's none of his business."

"Even if he doesn't accept it, I still think it's something he should know about."

He was reminded of feeling the same way about the confession. So, reluctantly, he had to agree. He wasn't looking forward to it, but no matter what happened, he would stand up for Maria. Even if the worst came to be, nothing would stop him from seeing her.

"We can wait until you're ready, then we'll tell him together." Maria reassured Shadow with a light touch to one of his quills. He felt better.

He thought he'd be nervous on their first date, but it was like any other day of spending time with her. When they crossed the street to reach the theater, he instinctively held her hand. They'd held each other's hand before, but this was the first time they did it while on a date. To his delight, Maria didn't let go when they got to the other side. They continued holding hands the rest of the way.

During the movie, Maria placed the bucket of popcorn in her lap. Like yesterday, Shadow was too distracted to pay any attention to the film. Only this time, his thoughts were pleasant ones. He liked the way she looked in the darkened room. When she dipped her hand to get more popcorn, he liked how she let his fingers graze across hers, even though he never took out any popcorn for himself. He liked the way her eyes lit up when a funny scene made her laugh.

At the malt shop, they bought two milkshakes and Maria asked him what he thought of the movie.

"It was good."

"What was your favorite part?"

"Definitely the ending."

"What was the main character's name?"

"It was... Tom."

Maria blinked in confusion.

"I mean, John. Or... Was it Don?"

She smiled at him. "You didn't pay attention at all, did you?"

"Okay, you got me."

"Because it _was _Tom."

"Maria!"

So she tricked him! But he couldn't help laughing along with her.

They wandered around downtown for a while afterward. Then they started to walk home. But on the way, Maria saw something.

"Shadow, look."

She pointed to a large grassy hill in the distance. "Remember how on the Ark I said I wanted to roll down a hill, but all we had was that big wide hall with the tall slope?"

"I remember. The ground was cold and hard, but we still had fun." He gazed up at her. "Do you want to try rolling down a real hill for the first time?"

"Very much."

So they left the path and headed for the big hill. They started to climb, but it was steeper than they expected. When Maria stopped to catch her breath, Shadow offered to carry her to the top. She nodded, and he swept her off her feet. It was no trouble for him to carry her bridal style the rest of the way.

He could've made it easily in no time at all, but he made sure not to go too fast. He wanted to savor the warmth and softness of her so close to him. Every now and then he looked in her eyes and gave her a compliment, like, "You're so gorgeous," "You smell like roses," and "I'm so lucky to know you." Each one made her stammer a reply and smile shyly.

There was a picturesque view to behold at the top of the hill. A lush green meadow spread out beneath them. Far away, a winding river dwelled. And in the sky, the sun cast down its golden rays of light.

He let her down carefully and she sat with her legs outstretched. Shadow turned around and sat in her lap, like they did on the Ark.

Instead of wrapping her arms around him, she asked, "Um... Can you face me?"

His heart skipped a beat. "Sure, but why?"

She shrugged. "I'd like to be near your face when we fall."

He tried to switch position in one fluid motion, but he was clumsy. She didn't seem to mind, though. They were so close now, he could have kissed her.

Maria held him tight and he followed suit. He thought about saying something to her, but without warning, she kicked them off with such force it stunned him.

His ears were filled with the sound of her joyful voice as they rolled down the hill. He saw flashes of blue, green, white, yellow. And all the while, he kept his grip on Maria's waist, never letting go.

She was laughing when they rolled to a stop. He was above her, shaking off the dizziness—partly due to the journey and partly due to how much he enjoyed her beneath him.

"My hairband came off," she half laughed, half gasped.

He looked and found it right away. She sat up so he could properly fit it back on her head.

"Did you enjoy that ride more than the slope on the Ark?" he asked.

"Yes, it was way more fun. What about you?"

"Honestly? I liked the Ark more. I feel sore all over, there's rocks, and the grass is itchy. At least the cold hard ground was nice and smooth."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Shadow."

"It's no big deal. I still liked it, and we can come back and do it again whenever you want."

"Thank you."

Her smile made his heart beat faster. They were sitting together, alone, and he was certain he'd never felt so warm and happy before in his life. He reached out a hand and slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

Her breath quivered, but she didn't pull away. Still, it made him hesitate.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, but she sounded unsure.

Shadow lowered his hand. "What's wrong?"

Maria looked at the grass and took a moment to speak. "I love you," she said quietly. "But I've never done this before. It's kind of scary."

He looked down as well. "I was scared at first, too. But I just knew in my heart that I wanted to be with you always. You complete me, Maria, and I want you to feel as amazing as I see you. If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, just let me know and I'll understand."

Their eyes met then and she nodded in relief. "Okay."

"What do you want to do now?"

She studied him, the blush seeping back onto her face. "Can I kiss your cheek?"

"You can do whatever you want with me. You don't have to ask for permission."

She blushed even deeper, but leaned forward. She closed her eyes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, her lips lingering for just a second. Despite himself, he used one hand to hold the back of her head in place so she wouldn't pull too far away.

She didn't seem alarmed, though. In fact, she moved closer so their foreheads touched. He responded by nuzzling against her.

It was their first time snuggling together. Maria seemed to grow more at ease the longer they did it.

The only thing Shadow did not like about their first date was that it had to end so soon. He knew they had a lot more to talk about later, but he was ready for it. Tomorrow was another day to fall deeper in love with her, and he couldn't wait to face the whole new set of firsts it would bring.


End file.
